According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, former Tennessee Titans linebacker Jerome Baker has signed an undisclosed contract with the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland native split two five-game stints last season with the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans after a mid-season trade, missing seven games with hamstring and neck injuries. Baker was the epitome of health earlier in his career, missing nary a game through his first five seasons. However, the 28-year-old has not appeared in 10 combined games since 2023. He's a fine run defender and should help a defense that let up the fifth-most points in the NFL a season ago (25.6). Baker is the third addition at linebacker for the squad, joining Devin Bush and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Veteran free-agent linebacker Jerome Baker has visited with the Cleveland Browns. Baker remains on the open market after splitting time between the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans in 2024. He only appeared in 10 games (eight starts) between both teams and had a career-low 61 tackles (34 solo), two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The 28-year-old played in five games with Seattle before he was traded to the Titans to close out the year. Baker was originally a third-round selection (73rd overall) by the Miami Dolphins in 2018 out of Ohio State. With seven years of NFL experience with three different teams, he should eventually latch on with another squad, but Baker might have to compete for a backup role in his new digs. Baker has 648 career tackles (416 solo), 24.5 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, 49 QB hits, five interceptions (two returned for TDs), 25 pass breakups, seven forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 104 games (90 starts).
Seahawks-Titans Swap Linebackers Jerome Baker, Ernest Jones IV
The Seattle Seahawks traded linebacker Jerome Baker and a fourth-round draft pick on Wednesday to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for linebacker Ernest Jones IV, according to sources. In addition to sending Jones to the Seahawks, the Titans also traded receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs on Wednesday. Tennessee acquired Jones in the offseason, but they are now pivoting after a rough start to 2024. Baker, a third-rounder by the Miami Dolphins in 2018, had 30 tackles (17 solo), a sack, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in five games for Seattle before the trade. Jones, meanwhile, had racked up 44 tackles (29 solo) and two pass breakups in his six games with the Titans. He'll be heading back to the NFC West after spending his first three years in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald said that linebacker Jerome Baker (lower body, wrist) won't be back with the team until training camp this summer while recovering from a wrist injury and a couple of lower-body issues. Baker injured his wrist in the Week 18 regular-season finale last year and is also dealing with a lower-body ailment, so the Seahawks won't push him until late July for the start of training camp. The 27-year-old's absence in offseason workouts will allow rookie fourth-rounder Tyrice Knight some more repetitions heading into his first NFL season. When healthy, Baker profiles as a starter in the middle of Seattle's defense. Baker has recorded 100-plus combined tackles in half of his six seasons and had 78 tackles (51 solo), 1.5 sacks, four QB hits, two interceptions (one returned for a TD) and three passes defended in 13 regular-season games (12 starts) in 2023.
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jerome Baker (wrist) didn't take part in organized team activities on Wednesday. Baker injured his right wrist in the Week 18 regular-season finale last year while playing for the Miami Marlins and required offseason surgery. The 27-year-old is still recovering from his surgery, and it remains to be seen what his availability will be like for mandatory minicamp next month and training camp this summer. When healthy, Baker should help make up for the offseason losses of both Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner at the linebacker position in Seattle. The former third-round pick of the Dolphins in 2018 out of Ohio State has 22.5 sacks, 382 solo tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 46 QB hits, five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 21 passes defended and six forced fumbles in his six years in the league.
Free-agent linebacker Jerome Baker agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with Seattle on Saturday. The 27-year-old finished last season by totaling 78 tackles, two picks, and 1.5 sacks in 13 games with Miami. However, after injuring his knee in December, he underwent wrist surgery in January and was released by the Dolphins in March due to a failed physical designation. Baker should have a clear path for snaps throughout the 2024-25 campaign. While he has had some solid years since entering the league in 2018, he must prove he can remain healthy moving ahead. That said, Baker still has a place on IDP rosters.
Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker is scheduled to visit with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday. Baker had 78 tackles (51 solo), 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and three passes defended in 13 games (12 starts) for Miami in 2023. Baker was released by the Dolphins on March 5 due to a failed-physical designation because of a wrist injury, but the 27-year-old's release was mostly about creating salary cap space. Baker was a former third-round pick by the Dolphins in 2018 out of Ohio State. In his six years in the NFL, he's recorded 22.5 sacks and has gone over 100 total tackles three times in 94 total games played (82 starts) with Miami. Baker should land on his feet somewhere else soon.
The Miami Dolphins are releasing linebacker Jerome Baker after the two sides could not agree on a contract restructure, according to Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network. Baker, a 2018 third-round pick, compiled 587 tackles, 22.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and five interceptions in his first six NFL seasons. In 2023, the 27-year-old missed four games due to a knee injury. The move will save the Dolphins $9.82 million on the cap, and they'll take on just $4.73 million in dead money. The former Ohio State Buckeye is likely viewed as a mid-level off-ball linebacker starter, so he will draw interest from other organizations when free agency begins.
Jerome Baker, Andrew Van Ginkel Likely Out For Playoffs
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker (wrist) had surgery on his wrist on Monday and has been ruled out for the wild-card game this Saturday against the Kansas City Chiefs. It's likely that Baker will miss the entire playoffs. Meanwhile, linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (foot) will likely meet the same fate and miss all of the postseason after getting injured in Sunday night's loss to the Buffalo Bills. It's more bad news for a Dolphins defense that is limping into the playoffs. Pass-rusher Bradley Chubb (knee) suffered a torn ACL in Week 17 and cornerback Xavien Howard (foot) also had to be carted off. Chubb is done for the rest of the year obviously, but Miami will be holding out hope that Howard can return at some point in the postseason. Still, the Dolphins defense will be short-handed in January.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker (knee) has been activated from the injured reserve ahead of the Week 18 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The stud linebacker returns after missing the minimum four games on the IR. He'll make his return to the field for a key game in the regular season finale. This season, Baker has recorded 69 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions in 12 games. His presence on defense will give this unit a major lift for Sunday's game.
Jerome Baker
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Browns
